Series 712 – The Hesitation Ramification

1. Amy: This is nice, that we all get to eat together. Leonard: Absolutely. Amy: Hmm. Can we maybe put the phones down and have an actual human conversation? Sheldon: We can, but thanks to Steve Jobs, we don't have to. Penny: Guys, guys, you're never gonna believe this. Leonard: What happened? Penny: I just got a part on a TV show. Amy: Congratulations. Leonard: What? That's great. Guys. Howard: Oh, yeah Sheldon: Yay, Penny. Amy: What's the show? Penny: Um, NC… II… or, you know, NCSTD… I don't know, it's the one with the letters and I'm gonna be on it! Leonard:  That's amazing. Penny: Yeah. Howard: What's your part? Penny: Um, I play a customer in a diner( diner I. One that dines: midnight diners enjoying the meal after the theater. II. US and Canadian 路边小店. a small restaurant, often at the roadside. A small, usually inexpensive restaurant with a long counter and booths and housed in a building designed to resemble a dining car.) and I flirt with Mark Harmon. Raj: Ooh, Mark Harmon, he's a dreamboat(I. A person considered exceptionally good-looking and sexually attractive. an exceptionally attractive person or thing, esp a person of the opposite sex. II. A luxurious, well-designed automobile or other vehicle.). Leonard: So it, it's just flirting? Penny: Well, yeah. Why? Leonard: Uh, no reason. I just think it's sexier when things are left to the imagination留给想象, 留点想象空间. Amy: He's wrong. 2. Raj: So I read a study that says a man with a dog is three times more likely to get a woman's phone number. Leonard: Is it true even when the man lets his dog lick peanut butter off his tongue? Raj: I don't see why not. Howard: If you're really desperate to meet women and like having food eaten out of your mouth, I could set you up with安排 my mom. Sheldon: Why is that funny? That's just unhygienic((ˌʌnhai'dʒi:nik)). Leonard: It's a joke. Sheldon: I don't think so. I believe that a joke is a brief oral narrative with a climactic (klaɪˈmæktɪk) humorous twist. For example, uh, Wolowitz's mother is so fat that she decided to go on a diet, or exercise, or both. See? The twist is that people don't usually change. Well, they don't. Penny: Hey, guys, don't forget, my episode's on TV tomorrow night. Howard: We'll be there. Raj: Can we bring anything? Penny: Oh, that's so sweet of you, but I was gonna steal food from here. You know, my treat. Sheldon: Wait, if Howard's mother is coming, then you should also steal marbles. Because she's obese, and hippos are obese(əuˈbi:s) , and in the popular board game Hungry Hungry Hippos, they eat marbles. Maybe I need to dumb these down for you. 3. Sheldon: Leonard, do you think I'm funny? Leonard: No. Do you? Sheldon: I think I'm hysterical 让人捧腹大笑的(Provoking uncontrollable laughter.  Extremely funny: told a hysterical story. ). Leonard: I take it back. That was funny. Sheldon: The philosopher Henri Bergson says it's funny when a human being behaves like an object. Leonard: I bet that bit killed( I. (figuratively, informal, hyperbolic) To punish severely. My parents are going to kill me! II. (intransitive, informal) To produce intense pain. You don't ever want to get rabies. The doctor will have to give you multiple shots and they really kill. III. (transitive, figuratively, hyperbolic) To overpower, overwhelm or defeat. The team had absolutely killed their traditional rivals, and the local sports bars were raucous with celebrations. IV. (transitive, figuratively, informal) To exert an overwhelming effect on. Between the two of us, we killed the rest of the case of beer. Look at the amount of destruction to the enemy base. We pretty much killed their ability to retaliate anymore. V. (transitive, figuratively) 心里很难受. 很不忍. To produce feelings of dissatisfaction or revulsion in. It kills me to throw out three whole turkeys, but I can't get anyone to take them and they've already started to go bad. It kills me to learn how many poor people are practically starving in this country while rich moguls spend such outrageous amounts on useless luxuries. VI. (transitive) To use up or to waste. I'm just doing this to kill time. He told the bartender, pointing at the bottle of scotch he planned to consume, "Leave it, I'm going to kill the bottle.". VII. (transitive, figuratively) To stop, cease or render void; to terminate. The editor decided to kill the story. The news that a hurricane had destroyed our beach house killed our plans to sell it. My computer wouldn't respond until I killed some of the running processes. VIII. (transitive, figuratively, hyperbolic) To amaze, exceed, stun or otherwise incapacitate. That night, she was dressed to kill. That joke always kills me. IX. (transitive) 废掉, 废了, 弄残废. To render inoperative. He killed the engine and turned off the headlights, but remained in the car, waiting. Kirk Douglas, (actor, as Peter), The Fury (1978): Peter: Ask Childers if it was worth his arm. Policeman: What did you do to his arm, Peter? Peter: I killed it, with a machine gun. in for the kill (idiomatic) Intending to kill or destroy someone or something. If you go hunting and want to bring something back to eat, you have to be in for the kill. After bashing up his victim, the murderer went in for the kill. thrill kill I. (idiomatic) 寻刺激的杀死. An act of murder motivated solely by the murderer's desire to have a very exciting experience. "[T]his essentially was a killing for no reason, a thrill kill. . . ," said Attorney Donald Macomber. II. (attributive, usually hyphenated) Of, pertaining to, or being such an act of murder. ) at The Chuckle Hut. Sheldon: Oh, he didn't perform stand-up comedy, he was a philosopher. Leonard: You know, I think we're zeroing in on your problem. Sheldon: Perhaps I'll spend some time developing a unified theory of comedy, which will allow me to elicit laughter from ( I. to give rise to; evoke: to elicit a response. to elicit a sharp retort. II. to bring to light: to elicit the truth. retort (rɪˈtɔ:t) n. (chemistry) 蒸馏瓶. A flask with a rounded base and a long neck that is bent down and tapered, used to heat a liquid for distillation. vb I. 回敬. 回嘴. 回呛. 呛声. (when tr, takes a clause as object) to utter (something) quickly, sharply, wittily, or angrily, in response. A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback. His sharp retort made an impact. Who do you think you're talking to?' she retorted. 'You're too old', she said. 'You're not so young yourself,' he retorted. II. to use (an argument) against its originator; turn the tables by saying (something). To make a remark which reverses an argument upon its originator; to return, as an argument, accusation, censure, or incivility. to retort the charge of vanity. III.To bend or curve back. a retorted line. ) anyone at any time. Unless they're German, 'cause that's a tough crowd(难以取悦的观众. 逗不笑的. An audience that is difficult to please. What someone would say after telling a joke or other humorous anecdote, and then getting deadpan looks and no verbal acknowledgement from the people listening. "Yeah, so I heard Dave got a pet cat, oh well, probably the closest thing to pussy he'll ever have in his place, huh guys? hahaha!" (silence and blank stares from everyone). "Geez...! Tough crowd, man....tough crowd!!" ). Leonard: Are you set on ( be set in your ways 顽固的. 固执己见的. 恶心难改的, 老毛病难改, 旧习难改. to do the same things every day and to not want to change those habits: As people get older, they often become set in their ways. be set on/upon sth 一心要, 打定主意, 已决定的, 心意已决的 to be determined to do something: She seems set on marrying him. be set fair UK old-fashioned (of the weather) to be clear and dry and not changing or expected to change. (all) set (to do something) prepared or ready to do something. (be ~; get ~.) Are you set to cook the steaks? Yes, the fire is ready, and I'm all set to start. set (someone or an animal) on (someone or an animal) 让...攻击 to command someone or an animal to attack someone or an animal. The gang leader set his thugs on the unwary tourists. Scott set his hounds on the raccoon. set something to music 谱曲 to write a piece of music to accompany a set of words. The musician set my lyrics to music. The rock band set the poem to music. set someone or something to work to start someone or something working; to cause someone or something to begin functioning. The captain set everyone to work repairing the tears in the fabric of the sails. We will set the machines to work at the regular time. set to work (on someone or something) 开始着手于. to begin working on someone or something. We have finished questioning Tom, so we will set to work on Fred. We set to work on dinner at noon. They set to work bringing order to an organization that didn't even know how many computers it had. She pulled out her brushes and paper and set to work making a studio out of her hotel room.) people laughing with you? 'Cause if you're cool with at you… Sheldon: I don't get it. 4. Bernadette: Raj, when you said you were gonna bring a date to watch Penny's thing tonight, I didn't think you meant Stuart. Howard: Really? I never for a second thought it'd be anything else. Raj: I almost met someone last night, but I blew it搞砸了. I was walking Cinnamon and this girl introduced herself, but she was so cute I panicked and said, wouldn't it be easier if instead of talking we could just sniff each other's butts? Bernadette: Well, Stuart's cute in his own way. Stuart: When I was a baby, my mother called me her little possum. Raj: Are possums cute? Stuart: Not at all. Howard: If you're so intimidated by talking to attractive girls, maybe you should practice by talking to regular people. Raj: You mean like fatties and uggos(uggo An extremely ugly person. This term is used when you are too lazy to say "extremely ugly person", so, alas, uggo was created. A: My dog is frightened of me. B: That's 'cause you're an uggo. A: Your Mom! )? Bernadette: Or maybe just stop talking. Howard: I'm serious. Go to the mall, talk to anybody, practice, that way when you eventually do talk to a cute girl, it won't be so scary. Bernadette: Or just keep dating the possum. 5. Leonard: I'm so proud of you. Penny: We haven't even gotten to my scene 镜头 yet. Leonard: I know, but you're going to be a TV star and you haven't left me yet. That takes guts需要勇气(Take guts 需要点勇气, 需要点胆量 If something takes guts, it requires courage in the face of danger or great risk. It takes guts for firemen to enter a burning building to save someone.). Sheldon: I don't know about you, but I'm very uncomfortable with all this. Amy: Why? Sheldon: I've never seen this show before and now I'm starting with episode 246? It's unnatural. Amy: Just think of the first 245 as the prequel((ˈpriːkwəl) n. (Film) a film or book about an earlier stage of a story or a character's life, released because the later part of it has already been successful.). Sheldon: All right. Penny: Okay, shh, guys, guys, this is it. Penny: Are you kidding me? Leonard: What's wrong? Penny: Well, the diner scene. Where's my diner scene? Sheldon: Well, don't ask me. Until I see the prequel, I'm lost. Penny: No, there was supposed to be a big scene with me and Mark Harmon, but it's gone. Bernadette: What happened? Penny: They must've cut it. Leonard: Oh, Penny, I'm, I'm sorry. Howard: That stinks. Raj: I'm sure you were great. Penny: This doesn't make any sense. I mean, I, I thought I did a, a really good job, I… Excuse me. Sheldon: I've been studying how to make people laugh. They say that comedy is tragedy plus time. Let's tickle some ribs(rib-tickling 好笑的, 逗的, 逗趣的, 忍俊不禁的, 让人忍不住想笑的 adj very amusing; causing laughter. very amusing; funny or hilarious: a book of rib-tickling stories. Rib tickler A rib tickler is a story or joke that will make you laugh a lot. Alternately, a joke might "tickle your ribs".). 6. Penny (on phone): No, Dad, I don't think they cut me out of the show because I was too pretty. No, I don't need you to come out and kick Mark Harmon's ass. Daddy, I gotta go. I love you. Bye. Leonard: How you doing? Penny: Ugh, this is such a disaster. My parents had all my relatives over. They got one of those six-foot sandwiches, and got my brother a day pass out of rehab and now he's missing and the sandwich is missing, and they're probably in Mexico by now. So humiliating侮辱人了, 太丢人了, 太现眼了, 人丢大了. Leonard: You still got the part. That's a huge accomplishment. Penny: Yeah, but this was supposed to be my break, okay? People were gonna see me in this show and it was gonna lead to bigger things. More auditions, more parts. Now none of that's gonna happen. Leonard: Honey, you only had, like, three lines. That wasn't gonna happen anyway. Penny: Unbelievable. Leonard: Oh, come on, no, that's not what I meant. Penny: Then what did you mean? Leonard: I don't, look, you know, words don't always have to mean things. Penny: I think you meant that you don't believe in me. Leonard: Nope. Uh, uh, I might not know what I meant, but I know that I didn't mean that. Not this guy. Oh, no way. Penny: I want you, right now, to give me your 100% honest opinion. Leonard: Right. Penny: Do you think I have what it takes to really make it as an actress? Leonard: Yes. Penny: So you think I'll be on TV and in movies and win awards. Leonard: Honestly? Penny: Yes, honestly. Leonard: I don't. Penny: How could you say that? Leonard: I don't know, I got all confused when you said honestly. Penny: Oh. Leonard: Look, do I think that you are talented and that you are beautiful? Of course I do. But isn't Los Angeles full of actresses who are just as talented, just as beautiful? All right, look, we'll come back to that. Penny: No, please. Don't stop, go on. Tell me how I'm gonna be a waitress for the rest of my life. Leonard: That is not what I said. Look, I think you're really good. I truly do. But this is an incredibly hard thing that you're shooting for(shoot for something 立志要做 to try to achieve something. to aim for something; to set something as one's goal. You have to shoot for the very best. Don't be satisfied with less. She shot for the highest attainable goal. Tennessee's women's basketball team is shooting for another season of straight victories. ). I mean, the odds 几率 of anyone becoming a successful actor are like a million to one. Penny: Wow, thank you. Leonard: Should've let Sheldon come. 7. Sheldon: This is interesting. Apparently, a key component in some forms of humour is the element of surprise. Amy: Well, that makes sense. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for planning and anticipation, and patients with brain lesions 脑损伤 (ˈli：ʒən)(I. A wound or injury. II. A localized pathological change in a bodily organ or tissue. III. An infected or diseased patch of skin.) on their… Sheldon: BRAIN LESIONS! Amy: Sheldon, you scared me. That wasn't funny. Sheldon: Or maybe you have a stick up ( have a stick up (one's) ass 太正经, 不幽默, 没有幽默感 to be overly formal or humorless. Describing some one very stern or strict. Often used to describe parents or authorities. Hey, are you going to the show tomorrow? No...... Why not? They're only in town for a couple weeks. No, see, it's just my parents. The damn assholes have sticks up their asses! Oh that sucks. Yeah, tomorrow I'm going to one of them and say, "You know, you really have a stick up your ass." and they'll be like "Oh...." ) your prefrontal cortex (  The prefrontal cortex, also called PFC, refers to the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain, lying in front of the motor and premotor areas. This brain region has been implicated in planning complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behavior. The basic activity of this brain region is considered to be orchestration of thoughts and actions in accordance with internal goals. Destruction of the anterior two-thirds results in deficits in concentration, orientation, abstracting ability, judgment, and problem solving ability; destruction of the orbital (frontal) lobe results in inappropriate social behavior. ). Amy: Okay, the notion that you can read a few books and come up with a definitive theory of comedy is absurd荒唐可笑的, 荒谬的. I mean, humour is a complex neurological… (Sheldon drops his trousers) Okay, that's pretty good. Sheldon: Excellent. 8. Stuart: How about her? Raj: No. No pretty girls. The point is to talk to regular people and work our way up to pretty girls. Stuart: Fine. How about that old lady with the walker? Raj: That depends. On any level, do you think she's hot? Stuart: We'll find somebody else. 9. Sheldon: Kumquat? Amy: I guess. Sheldon: Ointment? Amy: Sure. Sheldon: Now, would you say ointment is more, equal to, or less funny than kumquat? Amy: I don't think I want to go out with you anymore. Sheldon: Will you please stop joking around? I'm trying to figure this out. Amy: Sheldon, how many words are you gonna go through? Sheldon: All of them. 10. Penny: You didn't get your part cut. Yep, bunch of old guys rocking out in a band, all with erectile dysfunction, you didn't get your part cut! Leonard: Hey. Can we talk? Penny: We can, but the part of Penny might get cut. Leonard: That was really crappy 糟糕透顶 of me. What you're trying to do is hard, but people do make it, and I really do believe you could be one of them. Penny: Thank you. Leonard: And to show you how much I believe in you, I kind of got you an audition. Penny: Are you serious? For what? Leonard: The new Star Wars movie. Penny: What? How did you manage that怎么做到的? Leonard: There's this thing online, you put yourself on tape and just send it in, anyone can do it. Penny: Come on Leonard, this is just a PR stunt. Leonard: So? Even if it is, you have a huge advantage because you're an actual actress. Most of the people doing this are just weirdoes and nerds. Wolowitz sent his in two days ago. Penny: Really, let it go. Leonard: Look, maybe it is a long shot, but sometimes long shots happen. Luke Skywalker was only given one chance to destroy the Death Star. He had to get a torpedo into an exhaust port that was only two meters wide, but with the help of The Force, he… wow, I can feel you hating me right now. 11. Stuart: How about that lady in the sweat suit, speed-walking( Power walking or speed walking 速走 is the act of walking with a speed at the upper end of the natural range for walking gait, typically 7 to 9 km/h (4.5 to 5.5 mph). To qualify as power walking as opposed to jogging or running, at least one foot must be in contact with the ground at all times. Power walking has been recommended as an alternative to jogging慢跑 for a low-to-moderate exercise regime, for instance 60–80% of maximum heart rate (HRmax). At the upper range walking and jogging are almost equally efficient, and the walking gait gives significantly less impact to the joints. When used in this way, an exaggerated arm swing 夸张的摆臂 is often used. Power walking/speed walking is often confused with racewalking, which has rules to define what counts as walking fast and is also a popular Olympic level event. Human gait 步态, 步法 (I. A particular way or manner of moving on foot: a person who ran with a clumsy, hobbling gait. II. Any of the ways, such as a canter, trot, or walk, by which a horse can move by lifting the feet in different order or rhythm. III. Rate or manner of proceeding: The project went forward at a steady gait.) refers to locomotion achieved through the movement of human limbs. Different gait patterns are characterized by differences in limb movement patterns, overall velocity, forces, kinetic and potential energy cycles, and changes in the contact with the surface (ground, floor, etc.). Human gaits are the various ways in which a human can move, either naturally or as a result of specialized training. Racewalking, or race walking 竞走, is a long-distance athletic event. Although it is a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Stride length is reduced, so to achieve competitive speeds, racewalkers must attain cadence rates comparable to those achieved by Olympic 800-meter runners—and they must do so for hours at a time since the Olympic events are the 20 km (12.4 mi) race walk (men and women) and 50 km (31 mi) race walk (men only), and 50 mile (80.5 km) events are also held. )? Raj: Yeah, she seems friendly and easy to… never mind, she's gone. You know, maybe talking to people is too hard. Stuart: We could go over to that department store, practice on the mannequins. Raj: I don't know. They're dressed very stylishly. They're probably stuck-up( Snobbish; conceited. conceited, arrogant, or snobbish. ). This is ridiculous. The next person that walks by, no matter who it is, they're the one. We're gonna die here. 12. Amy: Hello. Bernadette: Hey. Howard: Where's Sheldon? Amy: He's home trying to use science to determine the basis of humour. Bernadette: That's interesting. Amy: It's exhausting. Do you have any idea how hard it is to laugh at a knock-knock joke that starts with knock-knock-knock, Amy, knock-knock-knock, Amy, knock-knock-knock, Amy? Bernadette: If you want him to stop, sometimes the easiest thing to do is just fake a laugh. Howard: Fake a laugh? Do you ever do that with me? Bernadette: No, of course not. Howard: Well, I'd be able to tell anyway. Bernadette: I don't think you would. Howard: Please, I've made plenty of girls laugh, sometimes just by asking them out. (Bernadette laughs uncontrollably) Yeah? Well, I fake my orgasms. 13. Leonard (on phone): Yes, how much for a hundred long-stemmed red roses? Really? How much for three? Penny: Hey. Leonard: Yeah, I'll call you back. Penny: Look, I know you were just trying to help with your Star Wars thing. I didn't mean to call it idiotic(ˌɪdɪˈotɪk) 冒傻气的 . Leonard: Well, I don't think you called it idiotic. Penny: Oh. Sorry, I meant to. Anyway, um, I was just upset with myself. I wasn't mad at you. I just feel like everything is falling apart一起毁了, 一切都不顺利. Leonard: Come on. It's okay. Penny: No, it's not okay. Look at me, okay? I took a temp job临时工作 as a waitress forever ago, and I'm still doing it. I can't quit, because guess what? I can't do anything else. And I finally get my big break, and it goes away. I'm such a mess. Leonard: No, you're not. Penny: Really? 'Cause this morning at Starbucks, a pair of old underwear fell out of my pant leg裤腿. And it wasn't the only one in there. Leonard: Okay, listen to me, this is just a minor setback小挫折. Penny: No, it's not, okay? I've been out here 出来十年了 for, like, ten years. I've nothing to show for it. Leonard: Well, you have me. Penny: You're right. I do have you. Mm. Let's get married. Leonard: What? Penny: Ooh. Leonard Hofstadter, will you marry me? Leonard: Um… Penny: Did you seriously just say um? Leonard: Look, you know I love you but, but you're, you're drunk and sad and feeling lost. Penny: Okay, so, so you don't want to marry me? Leonard: That is not what I said. Penny: No, forget it. I take it back. Offer's off the table. Sheldon: Who's in the mood to laugh? Leonard: Really not a good time. Sheldon: But I used science to construct the perfect joke. Penny: I'm gonna go. Leonard: Penny, don't. Penny: No, no, I just need to be alone. Sheldon: So, a sandwich, a rabbi and yo mama walk into a bar. Where are you going? Leonard: To my room. Sheldon: Should I follow you? Leonard: No. Sheldon: Leonard, wait. Leonard: What? Sheldon: I forgot to tell you the sandwich is promiscuous. 14. Stuart: How about those guys on that bench over there? They look pathetic. I bet we could talk to them. Raj: That's a mirror. Stuart: Oh, yeah. Security Guard: Hey, fellas, mall's closing. Raj: Sorry. Security Guard: Yeah. Good night. Raj: Uh, excuse me. Security Guard: Yeah? Raj: Uh, do, do you like being a mall security guard? Security Guard: It's all right. Raj: Okay, nice talking to you. Stuart: Smooth. 15. Sheldon: Can't sleep? Leonard: No. Sheldon: Would you like to talk about it? Leonard: Penny  proposed, and I didn't say yes. Sheldon: Why not? Leonard: That's a good question. Sheldon: Does that mean the relationship is over? Leonard: I don't know. Sheldon: Why don't you ask her? Leonard: Because I'm afraid to know the answer. Sheldon: Well, I'm sorry. Leonard: That's it? You're not gonna make some dumb joke or some inappropriate comment? Sheldon: No. You're my friend, and, I'm sorry. Leonard: Did you just put a kick me sign (A note (commonly reading "Kick me") is attached to the back of an unsuspecting victim. This prank may be performed with Post-it notes or other objects like paper and tape.) on my back? Sheldon: No. That wouldn't be funny at all. 16. Howard: Star Wars audition, take one, starring Howard Joel Wolowitz, real-life astronaut. Vader is here, now, on this moon. I felt his presence感觉得到他的存在. He's come for me. He can feel when I'm near… Bernadette: How many times do I have to tell you to replace the toilet paper when it's empty? Howard: I'm in the middle of something. Bernadette: So am I.